Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1887-05-20

the Lord hath taken away; blessed
be the name of the Lord?" He
most certainly said that; but /
gravely fear that this beautiful
statement has often been misin-
terpreted. Job presents here a
perfect antithesis, and the law
governing antithesis, is, that its
members must be equal. Then
what does this passage mean?
Simply this: We receive these
precious gifts from God; but if
from any cause Whatever they
must fall before the storms of this
earth-world, he receives the gift
back again. II the tender plant
cannot grow amid these surround
ings, hel will give it place in a
more congenial cline and where
no noxious influence can blight it.
"No chilling winds, no poisonous breath
Can reach that healthful shore.
Sickness and sorrow, pain and death
Are felt and feared no mora -
Now we can understand those
words of Solomon when he says
that the body goes to the dust but
the spirit goes to God who gave it.
AS he gave it he receives it.
Then why do little children die?
The question must remain unan-
swered. Echo answers, "Why?"
These are among the problems
that can never be solved in this
world. Here we see through
glass darkly. With bowed heads
we stand in the presence of those
sorrowful scenes. The clouds
gather thickly above us. Amidst
the darkness and the gloom is
there no voice to speak to our
hearts---speaking in tones of hope
and good cheer? No human voice.
Reason and philosophy fail us.
Were we left to ourselves the
Pickering lamp of human reason
would only deepen and darken the
surrounding gloom. If left to hu-
man guidance here what keen
sense of utter helplessness would
settle like pail upon our hearts?
But we are not left to ourselves.
We may not know why the chill
dren die; but one thing we do
know that their eternal salvation
and glorifcation is as sure as
Gods eternal truth, for adown
through the flight of the ages
comes the voice of thu Son of
God: "Suffer the little children to
come unto me and forbid them not
for of such such is the Kingdom
of Heaven" Jesus made the little
child atype of heaven, for, when
his disciples were disputing as to
who should be greatest in the
kingdom of heaven, he called lit
tie child and placed it in their
midst, and said, Except ye be con-
verted and become as little chill
dren ye cannot enter into the king
dom of Heaven" Sinless, innocent
pure, trustful, confding, these are
the qualities that shine with such
brilliancy in the child life, and
would we, of older years, maturer
lives, and ripper thoughts meet
them in heaven we must cultivate
the graces. Thus the death of the
child may make the parents better.
A mother said to me, "Broth-
er Ely, do you think God would
take my child from me to punish
me for my sins and cause me to
live better life?" No, 1 answer
ed. l have no idea that God caus-
ed the death of your child in tbs
first place, or that he died for any |
such purpose. But, said I, the |
death of our children will make us
better if we think of this properly. |
1t will soften and refine our
natures. 1t will quicken our sym
pathies for others who have like
sorrows. Who can fully enter in
to sympathy with bereaved pa
rents if he himself has not been
bereft? Common SORROWS make
the whole world akin.
Again the death of our children
strips us!'often-times -four selfish
ness. We wrap ourselves up in
our children. Our whole thought
md affection become centered in
hem. Suddenly they leave US.
Dur hearts are enlarged and our
ohilanthropies are extended be-
'ond the family circle more than
.ver before.
Again: The death of our chill
lren weans Jour affections away
rom this world and makes us
more heavenly minded. We
hink of heaven more, and, in our
Imagination, we try to picture the
,lory of the mansion which Jesus
las prepared for their redeemed
nd glorified existence. These
cry thoughts and imaginations {
AVE their good effects upon our
learts. l speak from an expert I
nee caused by the death of our ]
wn little boy. I know it brought
ood to me. Indeed my philoso- I
hy is that we should try to gath 6
r sweets from all the bitter trials I
life. ,